The Importance of Listening With Devotion and Attention

You might have noticed in the schools. Students would not pay attention to the teachers
if they have no respect for them or if they do not believe in them. It may even
effect the career choices children may make in future. I know a few students who
opted for arts because they hated their science teacher who they thought was boring
and uninspiring. Once you develop such prejudice it is difficult to erase it. Listening
to anything with surrender, devotion and attention is important to improve your
memory, comprehension, understanding and insight. This important aspect of listening
with attention is well stated in the following verse. Said the
Lord Supreme, "O, Partha now listen to this with your mind devoted to Me, practicing
Yoga and taking refuge in Me, you can know Me completely without any doubt."
Here, mind devoted to me means, mind focused on me. Practicing yoga means having
a stable and steady mind. Taking refuge in me means having faith in the teacher.
Surrender simply means not having any mental blocks or offering resistance. Devotion
means you should be deeply interested in something. Attention means you must be
absorbed in the object grasped by your senses. All these are important for effective
listening. Verse translation: From the Bhagavadgita Free Translation 7.1 by Jayaram